OTTAWA — Wait times for five key medical procedures have “plateaued” over the past three years, the Canadian Institute for Health Information said Thursday. Though eight in 10 Canadians who needed knee and hip replacements, cataract surgery or hip fracture repairs received them last year within medically acceptable wait times, there has been little or no improvement since 2011.

Don Butler, Ottawa Citizen

Updated: May 20, 2014

Wait times in Ontario for hip and knee replacements and radiation therapy were the second-shortest in Canada last year, and Ontario was tied for fourth among provinces for cataract surgery and hip fracture repair wait times. Jean Levac / Ottawa Citizen

OTTAWA — Wait times for five key medical procedures have “plateaued” over the past three years, the Canadian Institute for Health Information said Thursday.

Though eight in 10 Canadians who needed knee and hip replacements, cataract surgery or hip fracture repairs received them last year within medically acceptable wait times, there has been little or no improvement since 2011.

The goal is to treat 90 per cent of patients within accepted benchmarks. But the only procedure to reach that target last year was radiation therapy. For the first time, all provinces reached the 90 per cent target of 28 days.

The five procedures were selected by governments for strategic investments in 2004 as part of a 10-year plan to strengthen health care.

Ontario compares favourably to other provinces. Wait times here for hip and knee replacements and radiation therapy were the second-shortest in Canada last year, while Ontario was tied for fourth among provinces for cataract surgery and hip fracture repair wait times.

One challenge is that the number of patients seeking the procedures is rising, said CIHI, an independent, not-for-profit corporation that gathers and disseminates information about Canada’s health care system.

Since 2011, the number of hip replacements performed in Canada has risen by 17 per cent, for example, and the number of knee replacements has jumped 15 per cent.

For the first time, CIHI also reported on surgical wait times for five common cancers: breast, bladder, colon-rectum, lung and prostate. The shortest waits last year were for breast cancer surgery, with half of patients being treated in 17 days.

Here’s a closer look at CIHI’s findings:

HIP REPLACEMENT

Nationally, 82 per cent of patients needing hip replacements last year got them within the 182-day benchmark. That’s identical to the percentage in 2011, even though 2,464 more procedures were done in 2013.

50 per cent treated nationally: Within 86 days

50 per cent treated in Ontario: Within 70 days

90 per cent treated nationally: Within 230 days

90 per cent treated in Ontario: Within 188 days

KNEE REPLACEMENT

Nationally, 76 per cent of patients needing knee replacements in 2013 got them within the 182-day benchmark, up marginally from 2011 despite an increase of 3,685 in the number of procedures.

50 per cent treated nationally: Within 104 days

50 per cent treated in Ontario: Within 79 days

90 per cent treated nationally: Within 263 days

90 per cent treated in Ontario: Within 216 days

HIP FRACTURE REPAIR

Nationally, 83 per cent had surgery within the 48 hour benchmark, up from 79 per cent in 2011, when there were seven per cent fewer procedures performed.

50 per cent treated nationally: Within 24 hours

50 per cent treated in Ontario: Within 24 hours

90 per cent treated nationally: Within 63 hours

90 per cent treated in Ontario: Within 64 hours

CATARACT SURGERY

Nationally, 81 per cent of patients had surgery within the 112-day benchmark, down slightly from 2011. The number of surgeries increased by five per cent between 2011 and 2013.

50 per cent treated nationally: Within 46 days

50 per cent treated in Ontario: Within 50 days

90 per cent treated nationally: Within 153 days

90 per cent treated in Ontario: Within 153 days

RADIATION THERAPY

Nationally 97 per cent of patients received treatment within the 28-day benchmark last year, the same as in 2011 despite a six-per cent increase in the number of procedures performed,

50 per cent treated nationally: Within seven days

50 per cent treated in Ontario: Within six days

90 per cent treated nationally: Within 18 days

90 per cent treated in Ontario: Within 14 days

CANCER SURGERY

The shortest wait times were for breast cancer and the longest for prostate cancer. Due to the nature and treatment of prostate cancer, CIHI says longer wait times can be expected. Here are the national wait times:

Breast cancer: Half got surgery within 17 days of booking; 90 per cent within 42 days.

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